Culham Centre for Fusion Energy

On 29 September 2011 the PGCU Network hosted a visit to the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy which also included a short presentation.

Harnessing energy from the fusion of light nuclei (the power of the Sun and stars) has huge potential to offer an abundant, clean and safe source of electricity for future generations. However, the scientific and engineering challenges required to heat, confine and sustain a very hot, typically 100-200 million degrees C plasma of fusion fuels are significant.

Culham Centre for Fusion Energy is one of the world’s foremost fusion research centres - with two operational ‘tokamaks’ JET and MAST. These machines utilise powerful magnetic fields to control the hot fusion plasma. Following an introduction to fusion research, delegates toured both devices :  

• EFDA-JET - Europe’s tokamak and the largest such device in the world, which is capable of using both fusion fuels (Deuterium and Tritium) and reaching temperatures required for fusion to occur.  A maximum of 16 MW  of fusion power has been produced in JET; 
• The UK’s own MAST experiment - an innovative concept where the plasma is held in a much tighter magnetic field.  

Ever more enhancements on JET are enabling the next step ITER international device, presently under construction in Cadarache, France, to integrate science and engineering and demonstrate the viability of fusion power on a commercial scale.  Fusion really can be powering our futures…

View the below presentations to learn more.

 

JET's Role in the EU Fusion Development Strategy

Fusion - In Our Grasp?